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Best Tent Camping near Eloy, AZ

486 Reviews

Tent camping options around Eloy, Arizona range from basic Bureau of Land Management (BLM) dispersed sites to established primitive campgrounds. Pipeline Road BLM Camping offers tent-friendly sites approximately 40 miles west of Eloy, while Garden of Peden provides reservable tent camping with proximity to Saguaro National Park. Charouleau Gap Trailhead Camp northeast of Tucson offers another dispersed tent camping option with permit requirements.

Most dispersed tent sites near Eloy require high-clearance vehicles due to rough road conditions. Pipeline Road BLM Camping features drive-in and walk-in access but includes challenging road conditions with dips that restrict larger vehicles. Hackamore Road Dispersed allows free tent camping but requires navigating problematic access roads. Few sites offer amenities like drinking water, showers, or toilets. Peralta Regional Park provides pit toilets and picnic tables at its primitive remote campsites. Tent campers should pack adequate water supplies, waste disposal bags, and prepare for potentially challenging weather conditions in this desert environment.

Tent sites in the region provide varying levels of seclusion and scenic beauty. Pipeline Road offers good cell service but campers should be aware of adjacent target shooting activities on State Land. The Garden of Peden provides tent camping near Saguaro National Park with firewood and trash service available. Peralta Regional Park features well-spaced tent sites with excellent stargazing opportunities and access to hiking trails. A recent review noted: "Very quiet and peaceful. Clean dark sky for star watching." Dispersed camping areas like Charouleau Gap Trailhead Camp offer quick overnight options with easy access from major roads, though limited natural screening between sites may reduce privacy.

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Best Tent Sites Near Eloy, Arizona (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Eloy, AZ

2 Photos of 6 Eloy Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Eloy, AZ

486 Reviews of 6 Eloy Campgrounds

  • KJ G.
    Feb. 16, 2025

    Pinal County Fairgrounds

    Quick practical spot

    We were dry /primitive campers saving our coins here and there camping! This was an easy quick $10 but I do recommend getting there before closing hrs. As you have to call the camp host to let you in. There is no designated camp zones it is a very dry area ofcourse being in the middle of Arizona. But we were prepared with sleeping pads and tent tarps for comfort. But for 10 bucks you can’t beat that! There was an animal 4H fair of some sort going on which we enjoyed even through all our sleep! The animals did seem to “sleep with us!” There is showers and easy convience to I-10/I20? Also Walmart/standard fast food defiantly more RV friendly but with the right gear you should be fine! I love supporting places like this over the hotel industry

  • P
    Sep. 13, 2020

    Gilbert Ray Campground

    Very Nice

    My grandson and I stayed in a tent campsite for two nights. There are only a 5 tent sites and they don't have a tent pad. After two passes we were able to find a site with a smooth spot without rocks for the tent, B5, a picnic table but no shade. I felt there could have been more bathrooms and water spickets but honestly I did not do much walking in the campground. It is the quiet time of year, before snowbirds come, so we were able to have our pick of electric or not sites. It was quiet; I think three trailers and one other tenter. No generators allowed and 7 day strict limit. The coyotes were very vocal at night, which I enjoyed.This is more of an RV campground but suited us fine for two days. We interacted with the hosts and they were very nice. We explored the trails, visitor center and Sonora Desert Museum, which we loved. Thirty minute drive to Tucson. We went to the Reid Park Zoo, which we thoroughly enjoyed; LOTS of animals for a small zoo. We drove the loop in East Saguaro National Park. Some things closed in West Saguaro park so be aware of that, like Old Tucson, but we found lots to do.

  • Crystal D.
    Jan. 15, 2022

    Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    Beautiful Views

    My husband and I dry camped in our RV here for one night in mid January. Park was very packed, but very clean and quiet. Nice place to get some rest. Gorgeous views of the superstitions. Unfortunately we had to buy an extra day pass to hike in as check in is at 2pm and check out is at noon. If you are planning to hike into the mountains I recommend booking at least 2 nights in the campground. Staff was friendly. Dump station very crowded starting a couple hours before checkout time

  • Deborah C.
    May. 17, 2019

    Gilbert Ray Campground

    Gilbert Ray Campground , May, 2019

    May, 2019 we visited Saguaro National Park near Tucson AZ. We had planned to hike into the park at one of their few campgrounds but the office informed us that there was a controlled burn and recommended we not stay in the park and suggested Gilbert Ray as a good option. Gilbert Ray Campground is a great location for visiting the National Park. We arrived to find the office closed for the summer, so self serve option was available, at 10.00 per night for tent camping you can’t beat the price. The bathrooms were clean and as an added plus they have a dishwashing station. We stayed in the A loop. There are no showers and the campsite it all gravel making it next to impossible to put a tent stake in. The sites are fairly close together, for example, I could hear our neighbor unzip his tent. All sites have picnic tables. Cell service is good.

  • Janet H.
    Mar. 18, 2021

    Catalina State Park Campground

    Catalina State Park campground is one to add to your trip itinerary

    Camped 14-15 March 2021 - Minutes from the hustle and bustle of Tucson and Oro Valley, but surprisingly quiet. Catalina State Park Campground has two campsite loops- A and B, as well as the Ringtail group tent site. I tent camped at site A16, which was a decent distance from the neighboring sites. The loops and parking slips are asphalt paved. Familiarize yourself with the site map, because most of the campsite numbers were on posts set back a distance from the road, making it tough to locate some of the sites, especially if you’re arriving after dark. Campsites are typical desert sand, with mesquite and palo verde trees. I had plenty of location options within the site for setting up my tent, but had to choose carefully, as to not sleep atop an access hole to the round-tailed ground squirrel burrows that are in abundance throughout the campground. The site had water, an electric hook up (which I didn’t need), a nice sized thermoplastic polyethylene coated metal picnic table (easy to clean), a raised BBQ grill and a beautiful view of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The restroom and shower facility in loop A was clean and adequate, with three toilet stalls (one of which was ADA compliant, as well as two showers (one being ADA compliant). Signage on ADA shower stall indicated adaptive equipment (shower chair, etc.) was available through the camp hosts. An open breezeway between women’s and men’s restrooms includes a sink, soft drink machine, a small “Take a book, share a book” cabinet, and informational bulletin boards. A posted sign indicated wifi password for the campground, but whenever I tried to connect, I got a prompt that it was unavailable. I had a strong Verizon signal. Per another sign posted in the breezeway, the 48-day Bighorn Fire of June 2020 burned almost 120,000 acres / 25% of Catalina State Park. Because of vegetation loss, the Canada del Oro wash (along the main road between the entrance/ranger station and the campground) is prone to flooding when it rains at higher elevations. The wash has been running black with ash, and for longer periods of time than before the fire. The ash coats the sand, preventing the rainwater from being absorbed, creating the potential for flash floods. The Romero Trail to Romero Pools has been closed since the fire, with signs indicating reopening in May 2021. There are still plenty of miles of beautiful desert trails to enjoy. There are two large grocery stores and two gas stations within five miles of the campground.

  • Danielle A.
    Apr. 6, 2017

    Oak Flat Campground

    Basic, Easy, and Free Campsite with Bouldering Nearby

    Oak Flat is a Forest Service campground in the Tonto National Forest and is about 90 minutes from Phoenix. It's a short distance off a windy mountain highway which means it's easy to get to but traffic can be heard from camp. (Luckily it's not a busy interstate and traffic is pretty infrequent at night.) It's not spectacular location but there are decent views of the oak scrub desert surrounding the camp.

    There are a handful of campsites with picnic tables and firepits, plus several flat and open areas for RVs or tent cities. Some sites are open and others have a few shady tree for hammocks, slacklines, and more. There is a bathroom which was clean and well-stocked with toilet paper, despite the campground being quite full when I stayed here for a few nights in April. There is no water, however, so be prepared with as much as you'll need. The elevation is just shy of 4,000' which means nights are typically a few degrees cooler than in the Phoenix area.

    There are no hiking trails from the campground but there is a network of dirt roads which take you back into the desert scrub oak forest and through hundreds of bouldering problems of all levels. Just a few miles away, however, the Arizona Trail crosses the highway and heads north into the Superstition Wilderness.

    This campsite is pretty basic but is a good place to kill some time, especially given that it's free! It's also a great place to set up your base camp if you want to do some bouldering.

  • Denise G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2022

    Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    Campsite is at the foot of the Superstitious Mountains

    Lost Dutchman is a beautiful campsite however the sites are a little closer than what we prefer. We were in site 98 which was right in front of the Superstitious Mountains with no obstructions. The site was a pull thru but was barely long enough for our Toyota Tundra max cab and 20-foot trailer. A picnic table, fire ring and a couple of camp chairs is about all that fits at this site. If you want your trailer door to be lined up with the table, it will require you to pull the trailer through and park your tow vehicle behind it. Firewood can be purchased for$8 cash from the ranger station and ice for$6. If you want to use the well-maintained bathrooms or showers don’t stay in the 75-104 loop since the bathrooms are almost a half mile away via a trail that I would not recommend without closed toe shoes. We saw Quail and tarantulas on the trail. Although there were multiple signs to beware of rattle snakes we did not run into any. There was also a dog park near the main restrooms and showers. There is a dump station on your way out of the park that was easy to access. Goldfield Ghost Town just down the road, although a tourist trap it is a must see. There are multiple gift stores, a restaurant as well as a hamburger/ice cream stand and bakery, a train ride and Mine tours. Just a little farther down the road is the Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum which is more than just a museum full of old artifacts. There is a great gift shop and 15 acres of mining artifacts, artwork and a movie site Chaple used in a 1968 western called Charro which started Elvis Presley as well as the Apacheland Movie Barn used in multiple westerns. They even have a working 1914 Stamp ore mill which was used to crush boulders that had small pieces of gold within them. When enjoyed our two-night stay at Lost Dutch and spending the day learning about the history of this little community.

  • Danny K.
    Oct. 28, 2020

    Gilbert Ray Campground

    All Gravel

    This is a very nice and well maintained campground with many sites to choose from, but it is definitely geared toward staying in an RV given the utility hook-ups. Luckily I packed two sleeping pads along with my tent for the night or it would've been extremely uncomfortable; every site is filled with heavy gravel closer to a stone consistency. I didn't have any problems with coyotes venturing around, but the grasshoppers that would continually crash onto the stones was a little annoying while sleeping. There are no fires allowed at any site here because there are no fire pits or rings, though the large concrete picnic tables are a nice touch. The bathrooms are clean and orderly. If you want to stay here for a nice and easy hike up Brown Mountain nearby, this campground is a no-brainer.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 2, 2021

    Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    Second night—different site

    The place is gorgeous. Close to town and funky roadside attractions. No WiFi but decent cell. Very clean, well maintained and quiet. Lovely hiking in the park.

Guide to Eloy

Dispersed camping options near Eloy, Arizona require preparation for desert conditions. Located in the Sonoran Desert at approximately 1,550 feet elevation, this area experiences extreme temperature fluctuations with summer highs regularly exceeding 105°F and winter nighttime lows sometimes dropping below freezing. Most campsites require self-sufficiency with limited or no services available.

What to do

Nighttime stargazing opportunities: Peralta Regional Park provides exceptional dark sky viewing conditions away from city light pollution. One camper noted: "Amazing stay! Very quiet and peaceful. Clean dark sky for star watching. The park host was amazing."

Hiking access: The area's proximity to multiple trail systems makes it ideal for hikers. At Garden of Peden, campers appreciate easy access to nearby Saguaro National Park. Peralta Regional Park also connects to popular desert trails as confirmed by a visitor: "Very close to popular hiking trails. We enjoyed the rustic campsite."

OHV trail exploration: Hackamore Road Dispersed area provides direct access to off-highway vehicle trails. A camper reported: "There are a lot of sites, lots of utvs and folks riding horses out here. Town is close, close enough you can hear it."

What campers like

Quick desert escapes: Charouleau Gap Trailhead Camp offers accessible overnight options close to amenities. A reviewer mentioned: "Great easy little spot that is highly used so make sure you plan ahead. Works for a quick one nighter."

Desert wildlife encounters: The areas around Eloy provide opportunities to observe native desert wildlife. A camper at Peralta Regional Park shared: "Came across a rattle snake when hiking."

Spacious sites: Most dispersed camping areas provide good separation between campsites. A camper at Peralta Regional Park noted: "Each campsite has plenty of space in between. Literally no complaints at all."

What you should know

Road condition challenges: Access to most dispersed tent camping near Eloy requires high-clearance vehicles. A camper at Hackamore Road Dispersed warned: "The road is a bit tricky. I got here pretty smooth on my RWD Xterra, so while 4WD isn't necessary, I wouldn't come out here without high clearance and decent suspension. Maybe tie down any loose items as well."

Permit requirements: Some areas require permits for camping. At Hackamore Road, one camper clarified: "This is a nice quiet spot with excellent cell service. It's on BLM land, so you are out of the reach of the Arizona Land Permits. For extra clarification DO NOT go into Bulldog Canyon OHV (You need a permit in this part)!"

Limited natural coverage: Many sites have minimal shade or privacy screening. At Charouleau Gap, a camper advised: "Not all sites have fire circle and if you don't have a toilet there are only a few bushes tall enough."

Tips for camping with families

Noise considerations: Some locations experience vehicle noise or nearby recreational activities. At Hackamore Road Dispersed, a camper shared: "The coyotes started howling around 4am, but they started dying down after they had migrated. I'm a country guy so the sounds don't really bother me, but if you're particular about your sleep I would recommend bringing a camping trailer + earmuff combo."

Hard ground preparation: Desert soil conditions require proper equipment. A Hackamore Road camper noted: "The ground is hard as concrete, but I have no complaints. I got some of the best sleep I've had in a long time."

Helpful camp hosts: Established campgrounds often have staff to assist families. At Peralta Regional Park, a camper mentioned: "The camp host was very friendly and helpful (Darell)."

Tips from RVers

Length restrictions: Many roads limit accessibility for longer vehicles. At Pipeline Road BLM Camping, a camper warned: "Dispersed BLM camping folks the main road in has a pretty good little drop-down I wouldn't take a big rig past the first area on the right there's some pretty good dips in the main road going further back that big bridge are not going to like nor long trailers."

Clearance requirements: RV campers must carefully evaluate road conditions. At Charouleau Gap Trailhead Camp, one RVer reported: "Several spots off a dirt road that parallels the main road here. Accessed relatively easily (slowly) in my 23 Ft Class C."

Hazardous terrain: Many best tent camping sites near Eloy, Arizona have challenging terrain for RVs. A reviewer at Hackamore Road cautioned: "So unless you have high clearance. Stay away. We have a 40ft school bus and we'll if not for the potholes Everywhere it's the horrid uneven land."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Eloy, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Eloy, AZ is Pipeline Road BLM Camping with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Eloy, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Eloy, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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